Sweet Idleness
by D. Leveille
Summary: L stays at a villa in Tuscany for a much needed rest and learns something new about life.


_Disclaimer: L and Watari don't belong to me, but I own my OC's and the concept for the story._

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

**SWEET IDLENESS**

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

L was stretched out on a bed wearing only boxers and a T-shirt as a rotating fan blew warm, stagnant air around the room. "It's so hot in here," he grumbled aloud, lifting the sweaty hair from his forehead.

He was starting to regret asking Watari to find a family owned B&amp;B in the Italian countryside. L usually stayed at high class hotels, but after a brutal serial murder case in Rome, he desperately needed to get out of the city. The villa was relaxing and private… the only thing it lacked was an air conditioned room.

L sat up and reached for a glass of water. It was neither cold nor refreshing, but he drank it anyway. The clock on his bedside table read 11:52 AM. L had been awake for a long time; laying in a kind of heat induced stupor. He had slept very fitfully and remembered having nightmares about mangled bodies. Looking at crime scene photos was his least favorite part about being a detective. His memory absorbed every single detail. Whatever L read or saw, he would always remember.

He staggered over to the doors leading out onto the balcony. The terracotta tiles felt strangely cool against his bare feet._ *Maybe I should have slept on the floor,* _he thought as he pushed the curtains aside and blinked against the sun. Once his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he pulled open the doors. The air smelled wonderfully fresh after being in his stuffy room since last night. L stepped outside and leaned against the metal railing. Below him was a paved courtyard. Watari was sitting at one of the tables, leisurely reading a paper and eating his lunch.

The older man waved to him. "Are you hungry?" he called up.

"Yes."

"Come down and eat."

Watari was always trying to get L out of seclusion as much as possible. _*It's okay, _he thought, _there's not a lot of people around so I don't have to worry.*_

L went back into his room to take a shower. Once he was dressed in jeans and a short sleeve white T-shirt, he slipped on a pair of scuffed converse sneakers. L grabbed his phone and the old fashioned room key off the bedside table before heading into the hallway. L knew that the B&amp;B was a relatively safe place, but he locked the door anyway and tucked the key into his pocket.

The hallway had plaster walls in a faded sunflower yellow. The same terracotta tiles ran throughout the villa. Everything was old and authentic looking. Watari had told him that the farmhouse dated back to the 1700s. L preferred modern buildings and decorations, but even he had to admit that there was something nice about staying at such an historic place.

The doors to the courtyard were wide open which created a nice breeze downstairs. A middle-aged woman with short auburn hair was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a magazine. "Buongiorno!" she greeted when she spotted L at the foot of the stairs.

He repeated the greeting, shoving his hands self-consciously into his pockets.

"Would you like some lunch?" she asked in English.

"Yes, please," L replied in Italian.

The lady smiled at him. "Go and join your grandfather outside. I'll bring out your food in a few minutes."

"Grazie."

He walked across the cobblestones and sat across from Watari, who passed him the front page of a Tuscan newspaper. He spotted the headline: _'L Saves Rome From Serial Killer's Reign of Terror.'_ He flipped the page over and scanned the local events section. There was an interesting story about a festival in Florence.

"How did you sleep?" Watari asked when L had finished reading the article.

"Terribly. It was too hot in there."

"You should have opened your balcony door. That cooled off my room considerably."

L shook his head.

"There's no reason for you to be scared here," Watari said in a softened tone.

He looked down at the newspaper. "I'm not. I just don't want insects in my room." As usual, L had spoken a lie and a half truth.

"Then I suppose you will have another restless night because of your phobias."

It bothered L that Watari could see right through him. _*Of course he knows that I don't feel secure unless everything is locked up tight… but that's only natural, isn't it? He's the one who taught me to be careful.*_

A short time later, the owner's wife appeared carrying a tray. His lunch consisted of prosciutto on slices of melon, bruschetta with mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes, a tall glass of lemonade, and a salad with olives and cucumber.

"Thank you." L picked up a slice of bruschetta and bit into it. The bread made a satisfying crunch as he chewed. The lady was still standing there so L told her it was very good; praise he actually meant for once.

She flashed him a smile and asked if he liked gelato.

"Of course I do," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's delicious." The dense ice cream was something he craved every time he visited Italy.

"Good, then you can have some later this afternoon," she said, ruffling L's hair.

Her friendliness startled him a little, but he put up with it since she was a motherly type. L glanced over at Watari, who was trying to hide an amused smile behind a napkin.

"Would you like another cup of tea, Mr. White?" she asked the older man.

Watari set down his napkin. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Angelina."

She left after this and L took a sip of lemonade. It was sweet as opposed to sour: just the way he liked it. He used his thumb and index finger to pull a thin slice of ham off the melon. L loved the way the meat had absorbed the fruit's flavor.

A minute went by before Angelina returned with a cup of orange colored tea for Watari.

"If there's anything else you need, I'll just be inside." She looked at L who was raising a piece of melon to his lips. "Enjoy your meal," she said with a smile that lit up her kind gray eyes.

L enjoyed everything except for the salad. He'd never been fond of lettuce or olives, although he liked the cucumbers well enough.

"I think I'll walk around a bit," he announced. "See you later."

He slouched off towards an archway that led to a small garden with lavender flowers. Birds and cicadas sang loudly in the trees nearby. L walked across the grass and climbed a short flight of stairs. When he got to the top, a sweeping view of the hilly countryside came into view. L could see vineyards and tall, pointed cypress trees in the distance. Tuscany had a peaceful beauty that calmed him. He stood admiring the scene for a long while, until a bee buzzed past his ear causing him to dash back down the graveled stairs.

L's next discovery was a sparkling blue pool surrounded by ornamental hedges. No one was around so he pulled his shoes off, rolled up his jeans, and sat on the edge to dip his feet in. The water was the perfect temperature and he found himself smiling. _*I think I'll go swimming in an hour once my stomach has settled_.* He swished his feet around and let his mind go blank as he absorbed the moment. L's senses were heightened and he was fully aware of everything around him.

He got his phone out a few minutes later, scrolling through the music until he found "_Only the Ocean" _by Jack Johnson. The sounds of the cymbals and guitar filled the area. L leaned his elbows against the warm stones and closed his eyes, feeling like a cat basking in the sun. He hummed along and even sang a few lines off key occasionally. L ended up playing it four more times before getting up to leave.

**~.~.~**

"Remember to put on sunscreen," Watari reminded him as L pushed the door of his room open.

"I know." His skin was very sensitive and he burned easily.

He rummaged in his suitcase for his dark blue trunks that he'd hardly ever worn. L was always too embarrassed to go swimming at hotels. He knew that a family was also staying at the B&amp;B, but they had been gone all day. _*I'll have the pool to myself now,* _he thought as he tied the drawstring on his trunks_. _L sat down on the closed toilet seat lid and rubbed the sunscreen over his pale body. Luckily he was flexible enough to reach his back too.

L gathered up a few items: towel, stretchy headband, hair elastic, and sunglasses. He put his white T-shirt back on and slid on a pair of black athletic sandals. L folded his towel up so none of the smaller items would fall out.

The door to Watari's room was open. "Would you keep my room key with you? I already locked up."

"You don't need to lock it," he replied, unzipping his luggage.

"Well I already did. Are you going swimming too?"

"No, but I'll be down in 10 minutes."

_*He doesn't always have to go everywhere with me, _L thought as he walked down the wooden stairs. _Can't I ever have a little freedom?*_

**~.~.~**

L loved the cold shock of the water as he glided through it. When he resurfaced a few seconds later, his hair was plastered to his face. He pushed it off his forehead and waded over to the side where he had placed his belongings. L put on the thin headband first and then pulled the rest of his hair into a small ponytail.

He swam a few lengths of the pool before floating on his back. A few clouds drifted across the serene sky. L's peace was shattered a few minutes later when two young children showed up.

He cursed his bad luck as the boy yelled "cannonball!" and catapulted himself, creating a mini tidal wave. The girl plugged her nose and jumped in too. L swam off to the side, trying to get away from them. He looked over and saw a brown haired woman who he assumed was their mother sitting at a table with an umbrella.

The two kids started splashing around and squealing. _*So much for my relaxing swim,* _he thought in annoyance, ready to haul himself out of the pool. That's when Watari showed up with a large inflatable lounger that looked like an ice cream sandwich.

"Woah, that is so cool!" the boy exclaimed when he saw it. "Can I take a ride on that, mister?"

"Sure you can," Watari replied with a smile as he set the lounger in the pool.

"Yay, thanks!" The boy scrambled up on it. "Ellie, come over here and push me around on this."

"Okay, but only if I get a turn after you."

L could now tell by their accents that they were American.

"Where did you get that?" he asked Watari, who was standing nearby.

"I ordered it online a while ago, but you never wanted to go swimming before. I'm glad that it's finally being used now."

Even though the style was ridiculous, L wanted to go on it too. "Thanks for getting it," he said, squinting up at him.

"You're welcome," Watari replied, handing him his aviator sunglasses before heading towards an empty table.

The mother invited him over and L saw them talking with each other. He couldn't hear what they were saying because the kids were making too much noise though.

"Ellie, Ethan, let that boy use his floatie," the woman called out.

It took at least a minute for them to give it back. L crawled on the brown lounger, laying on his belly as it drifted across the surface of the pool.

"Hey, what's your name?" the boy asked, appearing right in front of L's face. His eyes were the same crystal blue color as the water.

"Lucas," he replied. His identity at the villa was 'Lucas White,' who was on a holiday with his grandfather.

"I'm Ethan and this is my twin sister, Ellie. We live in New Hampshire. Where are you from?"

"Everywhere."

The boy laughed. "How can you be from everywhere?"

"I travel a lot."

"How come?"

"I have to for my job," L replied.

"You have a job? But aren't you a teenager?"

"No, I'm an adult."

"Well you sure don't look like one. Me and Ellie turn seven next week! How old are you?"

L lifted up his sunglasses to glare at the kid. "Do you ever stop asking questions?"

"Nope," the boy replied with a gap-toothed grin. "I'm going to be a reporter when I grow up and ask people questions all day long."

_*Oh god, he's going to be the most annoying reporter in existence…*_

"What happened to your eyebrows?"

"They fell out," he said, lowering the glasses again.

"Why?"

"Who knows," he answered honestly. L flipped over onto his back.

"Hey Lucas, you should get a tan like me. You're really pale."

"Ethan, stop being so rude!" Ellie scolded and pushed her brother's shoulder. "Don't mind him. He doesn't have any manners. We'll leave you alone now." She pulled Ethan off in the other direction.

L breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like being around kids because they were too energetic. After a few minutes, the sun started to become too hot and L slid off the lounger back into the water.

"You kids can play on it again if you want," he told them.

"Thanks Lucas! Will you push us around then?"

For some reason, L found himself agreeing to the request.

**~.~.~**

An hour later, the three of them were out of the pool and eating strawberry gelato in the courtyard. Ellie and Ethan's sandy blond curls kept getting blown around by the wind and as a result, strands of their hair were now coated with ice cream.

"Hey Lucas, you look like a soccer star with that headband on. Is that what your job is?" Ethan asked curiously.

"No, but I used to play tennis when I was younger." The gelato had dripped onto his hand and L was trying to lick it off.

"Woah, really? Awesome! I've started to play baseball. I'm pretty good at it," he chattered. "Guess how many home runs I've had this year."

"Uh, five?"

"Nope, nine!" he announced proudly.

"Impressive." L took a bite of his cone.

The boy then started telling him about their sight-seeing trip earlier that day. L listened patiently until he finished eating. "Well I have to go now," he said, getting up from his chair.

"Wait, don't leave yet! Me and Ellie are gonna go exploring. There's a sunflower field down the road. You should come with us!"

"No, I don't think so."

Both of them started begging and he was forced to give in so they would shut up.

**~.~.~**

L only had an hour and a half of quiet time in his room before he had to go downstairs for dinner. The kitchen was large with stone walls made cozier by low ceiling beams. The rectangular table had a total of eight chairs: 3 on either side and two at each end.

"Luca," Angelina said, using the Italian version of his alias. "You sit near me."

L pulled out the chair that she was pointing to. The table was piled with all kinds of foods: sausage, asparagus, pasta with marinara sauce, garlic bread, roast chicken, salad… _*How can anyone cook this much?* _he wondered, eyes wide.

Watari chose the middle seat next to L. The family of four came in a few minutes later. The mother sat beside Watari with her husband directly across from her. The twins were on the other side of the table. Angelina had placed Ethan to her left so she could supervise his food intake. Meanwhile, the owner stood at the head of table, carving the chicken.

L had never experienced a domestic scene like this. There was a lot of commotion as everyone passed around dishes, talking and laughing with each other. L took some pasta and a piece of garlic bread. Angelina put some sausage and asparagus on his plate too._ *How am I going to eat all of this?* _he wondered, but he somehow managed it.

A family meal in Italy is a social occasion that lasts hours. L was only allowed to go up to his room after having a slice of chocolate-caramel tiramisu for dessert and a shot of espresso, which was meant to help with digestion. The caffeine energized him and L brought his acoustic guitar onto the balcony. A moon that was not quite full hung in a sky dotted with shining stars.

He lit a citronella candle to keep the mosquitoes away and sat down on a metal chair with a comfortable seat cushion. L started playing some Jack Johnson songs. He began with "_When I Look Up," _followed by "_My Little Girl," _and then "_Turn Your Love." _L didn't have a good voice, so he let his fingers sing for him.

When he stopped playing, he heard clapping and looked over. The Calahan family were two balcony's away. "You're so cool, Lucas!" Ethan called out followed by Ellie's polite request to "play one more song, please."

L felt a bit nervous about having an audience, but he took a deep breath and started "_Anything But The Truth." _It was one of his favorites. He got lost in the music and forgot that anyone was listening.

"My mom says she loves Jack Johnson and that your covers are good," Ethan said after he finished playing.

That made L smile. "Thank you."

"Goodnight Lucas!" Ellie and Ethan said in unison.

"Buonanotte," he returned in Italian.

L went inside to put his guitar away before returning to the balcony. He pulled his feet up on the chair and leaned back to watch the night sky. A knock sounded on the door twenty minutes later.

"Come in," L called out. He hadn't locked it behind him.

Watari entered holding a plate of grapes and they ate them outside together.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" he asked conversationally.

L nodded. "I think I understand the expression _'dolce far niente' _now."

"Yes… it certainly is sweet doing nothing at all."

L found it somewhat peculiar that seemingly "nothing" moments were some of the most meaningful of his entire life. That night, he kept the balcony doors open and fell asleep to the soothing sound of crickets.

* * *

**A/N: When I hear the word "summer," the first things that come to mind are: ice cream, swimming, Italy, sunflowers, lemonade, and Jack Johnson's album 'To the Sea.' So I took all of those things and created a story starring L :D I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please drop me a review!**


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